Tab affixing machine



Aug. 25, 1936. v l .1. GRn-:SINGER 2,052,023

' TAB AFFIXING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug- 25, 1936 J. GRIESINGER 2,052,023

TAB AFFI XING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 [20a/afar Aug. 25, 1936. J, SRESWGER 2,052,023

TAB AFFIXING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 25,1936. j, GRIESWGER 2,052,023

TAB AFFIXING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 J. GRIESINGER 2,052,023 TAB AFFIXING MACHINE Aug. 25, 1936.

Filled June s, 1931 e sheets-sheet 5 Aug- 25, 1936- J. GRIESINGER 2,052,023

' TAB AFFIXING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 VTAB AFFIXING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 Aug v25, 1936-r .jf GRlEslNGER. 2052,()23

TAB AFFIXING MACHINE Filed June 8, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Patented Aug. 25, 1936 Unirse STATEs PATENT OFFICE TAB AFFIXING MACHINE Application June 8, 1931, Serial No. 542,885

13 Claims.

v The objects of my invention are to provide a tab aiixing machine for sewing tabs to laundry articles, which machine is capable of aiixing said tabs as rapidly as the operator can place laundry articles in position for tabbing; or in other words, so that the total loutput of the tabbing machine in a given period is governed by the speed of the operato-r in placing the laundry articles in position to receive tabs, and substantially no delay is experienced by the operation of the machine in aixing the tabs to the articles.

A further object is to affix the tabs to the articles in such a manner that they will withstand all of the usual laundrying operations without becoming detached from the articles, and yet may be readily and easily removed when desired.

A further object is to provide new and useful means for cutting the tab afxing thread into short lengths, drawing both end portions thereof through a tab and a laundry article, and then rmly aflixing said end portions of the thread to the tab. Y A

Y A further object isto provide new and useful means for sewing a tab to a laundry article in such manner that only a thin flat surface of the tab rests flat against a small part of the margin of the laundry article, so that the tab does not interfere with the usual ironing process nor leave an objectionablemark thereon after the remo-val of the tab; and

Further in this connection to provide a machine which will sew the tab to the article and leave the central portion of the thread clearly visible across the outer face ofthe tab, so that it is easily seen and easily severed to remove the tab.

A further object is to provide new and useful ,means for cutting the tabs and folding them in position for securely aixing the tabs to the end portions of the thread.

A further object is to provide improved means for automatically applying identification marks to the tabs just prior to connecting them to the articles.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my improved machine partly in section and with parts broken away to show the operating mechanism.

Figure 2 shows a front end elevation of same partly in section to illustrate the needle operating and presser foot device.

' Figure 3 shows a rear end elevation of same showing the interior construction.

Figure 4 shows a detail side elevation illustrat- 5 ing a portion of the mechanism for manually starting and automatically stopping the operation of the machine.

Figure 5 shows a top or plan View of the same with the manual starting mechanism removed. 10

Figurer shows a detail side View partly in section illustrating the clutch, the disk and lever and a portion of the manual starting mechanism.

Figure 7 shows a rear end elevation of the structure shown in Figure 4, parts being broken l5.

away to show the clutch lever.

Figure 8 shows a detail View illustrating the clutch mechanism and starting disk in released position.

Figure 9 shows aY front elevation illustrating 20 the needle threading mechanism.

Figure 10 shows a detail View partly in section illustrating the thread cutting and clamping mechanism.

Figure 11 shows a detail side View of the thread 25 clamping mechanism of the thread pick-up device with the jaws in open position.

Figure 12 shows a similar View with the jaws in closed position clamping the thread.

Figure 13 shows a detail top view of the mechanism for holding the short section of thread and for advancing it to position for being threaded into the needles.

Figure 14 shows a side elevation of same and illustrating a portion of the cam for operating it.

Figure 15 shows a detail, vertical, sectional View illustrating a means for holding the central portion of the thread against the under side of the tab to prevent longitudinal movement dur- 40 ing the time when the needles are drawing the ends of the thread upwardly through the tab and article.

Figure 16 shows a top or plan view of a tab of the kind employed with my machine. The dotted 45 lines illustrate the connected tabs forming a continuous strip.

Figure 17 shows a face View of a completed tab; and

Figure 18 shows the opposite side thereof.

Figure 19 shows one of my improved tabs applied to a laundry article in its completed form.

Figure 20 shows a sectional perspective view of same on the line 20-20 of Figure 19.

- Figure 21 shows an isometric view illustrating 55l the mechanism for bending the side margins of the tab down over the end portions of the thread and the body of the tab.

Figure 22 shows an isometric view illustrating the mechanism for advancing the strip of tab material, and also illustrating the mechanism for drawing the end portions of the thread rearwardly over the face of the tab and for holding the thread in such position during the time the side margins of the tab are being folded down over the thread and the tab.

Figure 23 shows a transverse sectional view on the line 23-23 of Figure 15, illustrating :the manner in which the central portion of the thread is clamped to the tab during the upward movement of the needles.

Figure 24 shows a side elevation of the die for forming an identication mark on the tabs.

Figure 25 shows a top or plan View of same, the face of the die being indicated by dotted lines.

Figure 26 shows a rear end elevation of same.

Figure 2'7 shows a detail frontview illustrating the tab cutting shear member and the cam devices for operating it.

Figure 28 shows a side elevation Vof same.

`Figure29 shows a front elevation `of the means employed `for bending the end margin of the tab horizontally.

Figure 30 shows a -side elevation of same.

Figure 31 shows a top or plan view of the means for applying yielding tension to the tab strip.

Figure 32 shows a side elevation of same with the tab strip in position therein.

Figure.33 shows `a front .elevation .of .same with the tab strip in position.

Figure .34 shows a front elevation of the needle supporting bar and the cam for actuating it.

Figure 35 shows a side elevation of same.

Figure 36 shows a front elevation of the device for bending the end margin of the tab forwardly over the body of the tab and the cams for operating it.

Figure 37 shows a side elevation partly in section of the same.

4Figure 38 shows a front elevation of the device for bending upwardly the side margins of the tabs and the cam devices Vfor operating the same.

Figure 39 shows a side elevation of same.

Figure 40 shows a Yfront elevation of 'the tab marking die and the means for operating it.

Figure 41 shows a side elevation of the same,

Figure 42 shows a front elevation 'partly in section illustrating the presser foot andthe means for operating it.

Figure 43 shows a side elevation of same.

Figure 44 shows `an enlarged, detail, sectional view illustrating the lower end of the device lfor bending the end margin'of'the'tab down over Athe face of the ta'b.

Referring to the accompanying drawings; I

'have used the reference numeral' 'to indicate generally the frame of the machine. Contained within the frame is an electric motor -51| 'for driving the upper power shaft52 and the lower power shaft 53. These power shaftsare driven from the motor through the worm gear'54, pinion "58 in-meshwith thepinion 56 on the lower-power shaft, and a small pinion 51 in mesh with the pinion 55 onthe upper power shaft.

These 'power shafts are intended to be voperated `only through vone Acomplete cycle necessary to affix a =ta`b Vto'a laundryarticle, and are intended to then be stopped untilthe operator `canp'lace -a 'new varticle inposition to 'be tabbed.

For this purpose I have provided the following mechanism:

Mounted upon a shaft 59 is a worm gear 60 in mesh with the worm gear 54 so that it is constantly driven during the operation of the motor. Connected with the gear 60 is a cylindrical drum containing in its interior a notched clutch disk Bl.

This clutch disk 6| is adjacent to and in line with the pinion 53, and carried by this pinion is .a clutch lever 62 arranged, when in one position as shown in Figure 7, to be engaged by an adjacent notch of the clutch disk l, so that the `clutch device will carry the pinion 58 around with it, and when this clutch lever S2 is moved to the position shown in Figure 8, it will be disengaged fom the notched clutch disk 6I so that the pinion 58 will not be driven. The clutch lever 62 is pro vided with a spring 63 for normally holding it in the position shown in Figure 7.

Mounted upon the rear side of the pinion 58 is a rearwardly extended -cam V64, and this cam is designed `to -operate a stop disk vE55 rotatively mounted upon a sha-ft 66 at rig-ht angles to the shaft 59.

This stop `disk 65 is provided with notches 61 and is so shaped and arranged that as the cam 64 is rotated, 'it will engage the material at one side of the adjacent Ynotch 61 and move the stop disk Yto position where `the approaching clutch lever 62--will engage the disk 55, and thus trip lthe clutch mechanism and thereby stop the -movement of the power shafts, but `when the clutch lever 62 engages the disk l'155, the cam '64 will have -rotatedpast the Vdisk 65.

For starting the .power shafts I have provided on the/disk 65 a series of pins-68. Pivoted near the front of the machine yframe is a lever -69 to which a rod is pivoted, and this rod carries a notched bar 14 normally 4held at its rearward limit by a spring 12.

By pulling forwardly upon the lever E9, the notched bar 1| engages one of the pins -68 ofthe disk f65 Aand moves the disk farenough to bring one of vthe notches 61 of the disk 65 into the path of the `clutch lever 162, so that the power shafts are again operatively connected with the motor.

For the purpose of operating the power shafts by hand when desired, I have provided a hand wheel 13 xed to a shaft 14, which shaft 'has a pinion at its rear -end /in Amesh with the -pinion 58.

The tabs -shown in Figures 3, 16, 17 and y18 Iare lformed of `thin metal such for instance las zinc, and are easily bendable vand non-resilient so that they will retain the shape to which they are bent. 'Ihese tabs are formed in continuous -strips as shown in Figure 3, and each tab Yin vthe strip comprises a body portion 16 having two '60 spaced apart openings 11 near one end. At its sides are marginaledge portions 18, and at the 'end 'opposite from the openings is a vmarginal lend portion 19, and when applied the marginal edges 18 are folded over the body and Vfinally 'the ymargi-nalvedge A'19 is folded over the bodyvand Ithe vpreviously folded side margins, -as shown in vFigure y18.

Thisstrip-of tabsiseinserted through an open ing Vin the -back of the machina as shown in Figure 3, and extends-straight forwardly through `the machine A'through a groove 80, as shown in Figure 33.

For yieldably lholding^this strip vof tab mate- `rial lto position, I lhave provided a --spring V8| H5 shown in Figures 32 fand 33, which normally presses downwardly upon the tabs. This spring may be elevated by operating the small lever 82 connected to an eccentric 83 below the spring. The end of th-e spring beyond the eccentric is secured in position by a screw 8d.

The first operation performed by the machine upon the tab strip is the bending of the side margins 'F8 upwardly, and this is done before the end of the tab strip reaches the point where the tabs are aixed to the articles. y

- The means for bending these margins upwardly comprises a block 85, shown in Figure 38, having two upwardly extended arms 86. This block is carried by a sliding frame 81 engaged by a cam 88 on the lower power shaft 53, and during the time that this block 05 is being moved upwardly a bar 89 is moved downwardly into position resting against the upper surface of the tabstrip toV prevent it froml moving upwardly. This bar is moved downwardly by a cam 90 on the upper power shaft 52, and it is moved upwardly after it has performed its function by means of a sliding bar 9| moved downwardly by a cam 02 on the upper power shaft 52. Each of these bars 9| and 89 is formed with a rack 04, and mounted on the stationary support between said racks is a pinion in mesh with both racks, and this device causes a downward movement of the bar 89 to effect an upward movement of the bar 9i, and vice versa.

In this connection it may be stated that this same idea of using two cams on the same shaft, one for effecting the movement of the bar in one direction, and one for effecting movement of the bar in the opposite direction, by means of this rack and pinion arrangement, is employed in numerous places throughout this machine, and hence it is believed unnecessary to describe it in detail as applied to each of the several devices with which it is employed.

The next thing that is Ydone to the tab strip after the side margins are folded is to move it forwardly one tab space, and this is accomplished by the mechanism illustrated in Figure 22, as follows:

On the lower power shaft there is a wheel 96 having a cam groove 91 in which there is a roller 98. This roller is connected to a bar 99 which is fixed to two sliding rods |00. Carried by these rods is a rod |0| to which is pivoted a lever |02. The front end of this lever is normally inclined downwardly and in position to' engage the upstanding marginal edges of the adjacent tab, so that when the rods |00 are moved forwardly, the tab strip is advanced one tab length, and when the rods |00 move rearwardly, the lever |02 slides over the tabs.

After a tab is presented to position to be affixed to an article, then the article isplaced on top of the tab over the openings therein. Then the thread laying device is placed in position over the tab to receive the threads. 'I'his thread laying device includes an arm |03, which is more fully described hereafter.

The next operation of the machine is to move the presser foot down into position for holding the arm |03, the garment and the tab firmly together, while the end portions of the thread are being pulled upwardly through them. The presser foot is indicated generally by the numeral |04, and is mounted upon two rods |85, which are yieldably held downwardly by the springs |06.

The presser foot is moved forcibly upwardly at the proper time in the cycle of movement of the machine by means of a lever |08. Its forward end engages a part of the presser foot and its rear end is engaged by the bar ldd operated by the cam |01 on the upper power shaft 52.

For cutting ofi the individual tabs from the tab strip I have provided the mechanism shown in Figures 27 and 28, and which comprises a pivoted cutter blade normally above the tab strip, pivotally connected to an arm H2 on a shaft H3. Fixed to this shaft are two arms lill and H5, to engage respectively the two cams It and Il. This blade co-operates with a fixed straight edge on the machine frame not shown, to operate in severing the tab strip in an ordinary manner.

After the tab has been separated from the tab strip in the manner just described, the rear end portion of the tab is bent upwardly to a substantially upright position prior to its being folded over the tab and the thread.

The means for causing this upward bending of the rear end of the tab is illustrated in Figures 29 and 30, and comprise a folder barils pivoted to a shaft |l9, and having a pivotal connection with the arm |20 on the shaft l2 Fixed to this shaft |2| are the arms E22 and |23 to engage respectively the cams l2!! and |25 fixed to the lower power shaft. These cams are so arranged upon the power shafts that the folder bar l0 will be moved upwardly immediately after the tab has been separated from the tab strip by the cutter blade lll, and then the folder bar i2 is moved downwardly out of the path of travel of the tab strip.

For forming identification marks upon the tab I have provided' a marking device comprising a base member |25 and a top member |27! pivotally connected to the base member. The top member is yieldably held at its upward limit by a spring E28 and one or both are provided with impression making means, such as dies M5. This marking device is removably placed within the machine frame as shown in Figures 1 and 2, so that a new one can be substituted for each separate individuals laundry articles.

For operating the die IV have provided a bar |32 which is moved up and down at the proper time by the cams |3I and |32 on the up er power shaft 52, as shown in Figures e0 and iii.

After the end portions of the thread have been laid in position over the top of the tab, it is desired to fold the side margins inwardly and press them rmly down, one over each of said 55 thread portions. For accomplishing this purpose I have provided a frame M8 slidingiy supported and having two cam engaging surfaces thereon. Extended through an opening in the frame is the lower power shaft 53, and on this shaft is a cam mi, which during its revolution will move the frame M0 upwardly and downwardly by engagement with the frame members above and below the shaft 53.

Pivotally supported below the frame lid are two levers M2, which extend upwardly through the slots in the frame M8 and inwardly over the top of the frame and terminate in presser heads |43.

In each of these levers m2 is a curved slot 70 |44 through which a pin i555 is extended so that the pin and slot will guide the movement of the lever |432. When the frame ll moves downwardly, the pin and slot |35 and M4 will cause the presser. heads |43 to move towardeach other 7.5,

and downwardly, and will vfirmly press the side margins of the tab over Vthe body of the tab and against the threads thereon, After fthe side margins have been bent as just described, :the end margin of the tab is bent over the thread portions and previously folded side margin portions of the tab by the following mechanism:

It is important that means be vprovided for bending this margin down over the previously foldedside margins and firmlypressing it to said position, and this mechanism is shown in Figures 36, 37 and 44, and comprises a slide bar |33 operated to raise and lower by cams |34 and |35 similar to the ones before described. At the lower end of the bar |33 is a relatively at surface at |36 and pivotally mounted in the under end of the bar is a folding member |31 having its forward face inclined upwardly and forwardly at |38, and a cushioning spring |39 yieldably holds the lower end of the folding member |31 forwardly.

In operation with this part of the device, and assuming that the bar 533 is moved downwardly toward a tab with its rear margin turned straight up or inclined either way from a straight vertical line, then the inclined surface |33 will engage its upper edge and slowly as the bar |33 descends bends the margin of the tab forwardly and downwardly, or when the part |36 engages it, it will firmly press it against the body of the tab.

The needles employed in my ymachine are of the crochet variety having thread receiving notches therein as shown in Figure 14. There are two needles |46 and they are fixed to the bar |41 in spaced apart relation with the thread receiving notches at their front sides. This bar |41 is operated by means of a bell crank lever |48 having one arm thereof extended into the cam grooved wheel |49 on the upper power shaft 52,

The thread to be used in my machine is mounted upon the spool |56 and passes over a thread tension device |5| of the kind ordinarily used on sewing machines, and extends through a cylinder casing |52 at the front of the machine below the needles.

For holding this thread in position, I have provided the device illustrated in Figure 10 consisting of a stationary body |53 having a stationary cutter blade |54 xed to it. Slidingly mounted within the kbody |53 is a bar |55 having at its upper end a cutter blade |56 to cooperate with the blade |54, and also having a thread gripping arm |51, and slidingly mounted within the frame |53 is a coacting thread gripping bar |58 yieldably held upwardly by a spring |59.

For operating the slide bar 55 I have provided a cam |66 on the lower power shaft 53, and the parts are so arranged that when the bar |55 moves downwardly, it will sever the thread between the cutters |56 and |54, and at the same time will clamp the unsevered portion of the thread between the clamping members |51 and |58.

Assuming that the end portion of the thread on the spool is clamped in the thread holder, as shown in Figure 9, the thread will then be picked up and carried to position for threading the needles as follows:

Mounted upon the lower power shaft 53 is a thread pick-up arm |6| extended radially within the casing |52. To its outer end is fixed a plate |62 and connected with this plate is a slide plate |63. The plate |63 is supported by a screw |64 in the slot |65 in the plate |63. The plate |62 has at its -rear end an outwardly extended thread gripping jaw |66 having a notch |61 therein and the slide gripping member |63 has a lug |68 to enter the said notch |61.

A spring |69 is provided for yieldably holding the sliding gripping member to gripping position and yit is withdrawn from the gripping position by vmeans of a roller |10 fixed to said sliding member and operated by cams |1| and |12 on vthe casing |52 located at the point where it is desired to have 4the thread pick-up device released from the thread.

The operation of this part of the device is as follows:

The thread pick-up device in its travel will have its gripping jaws open, as shown in Figure 11, when it passes the thread held in the holder |53, vsee Fig. 9. As soon as the roller |10 passes the cam |12, the thread gripping jaws will close, as shown in Figure 12, and at the same time the thread holder will release the thread as before described, thereupon a portion of the thread will be drawn through the released thread holder and carried upwardly toward the right, as shown in Figure 9, until the roller |10 strikes the cam |1I, whereupon the thread will again be released at the same time the cam |60 will operate the thread cutter |55, leaving a severed section of thread to be picked up by the needles, as shown in Figure 9.

After the thread has been severed in the manner iust described, it is laid into the needle threading mechanism, which, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, comprises a body portion |13 pivoted at its lower end to swing forwardly and rearwardly and having a thread receiving notch |14 at lits upper end. It is also provided with transverse grooves |15 across its upper end.

Pivoted to the body v|13 is a lever |16 extended forwardly and then upwardly and provided at its upper end with thread gripping springs 11 designed .to operate in the grooves |15. This lever |16 is moved upwardly and rearwardly to grip the thread in the grooves |14 by means of a roller |18 carried by it and engaged by a cam |19 on the lower power shaft 53, and it is moved forwardly and downwardly by the spring |80.

When the springs |11 have been moved to position for gripping the thread, then the body |.13 containing the thread is forced rearwardly by having the lever 16 engage the lug |8| on the Vbody |13. This moves the thread rearwardly into the path of the notched needles and when the notched needles move upwardly, the thread will be threaded into the notches and pick-ed up by the needles.

After the thread has been picked up by the needles and carried by them up against the under surf-ace .of the tab, then it is desirable to apply pressure to the central portion of the thread against the tab, so that the friction of the end portions of the thread passing through the needles will not cause any lengthwise movement of the `body of the thread, and for this purpose I have provided a sliding block |82 in which is carried a spring |83, which spring has one end extended upwardly into an opening in the machine frame immediately surrounding the place where the needles pass through the frame, as shown in Figures 15 and 23.

The Vportion of -the machine frame adjacent to this lneedle opening is provided with ra curved notch |84 to serve as a guide for thespring |83.

A spring is-provided for normally holding the block |32 at its forward limit, and this block is moved rearwardly by an arm |86 on the body |13. The operation of this part of the mechanism is as follows:

When the thread is being drawn upwardly through the tab and the article being tabbed, the spring |33 presses upon the central portion of the thread, as clearly shown in Figure 23. When, however, the thread is being placed in the needles and the needles are moving upwardly toward the tab, this spring |83 is held out of the path of the needles and thread by the arm |86 engaging the block |82. The position of the spring when thus held is shown by dotted lines in Figure 15.

For laying and firmly holding the end portions of the thread in position on top of the tab, so that the side margins of the tab may be folded over these firmly held end portions of the thread, I have provided the following mechanism:

The thread laying lever |03 before mentioned is pivotally supported at |81 upon one of the rods |33, as shown in Figure 22. Its forward end is arranged in position directly over the tab strip and it is provided with two thread openings |88 designed to be positioned directly over the thread openings of the tab on which it is placed. A spring |89 is provided for yeldably holding the front end of the lever |03 into pressing engagement with the top of the tabl.

For elevating the thread laying lever when desired, I have provided a sliding bar |90 operated by a cam |9|. This bar |99 is provided with a pin |92 to engage a lever |93 fixed to the fram'e and having its forward end designed to engage and elevate the presser foot, as shown in Figure 22. The operation of this thread laying mechanism is as follows:

' After the needles have been drawn upwardly through the tab, the article and the openings |88 in the lever |33, and as soon as the needles have passed above the openings |88, then the rod |09 is moved rearwardly b-y its cam device, and during this rearward movement the spring |89 holds the front end of the lever |93 downwardly against the top of the tab and carries the ends of the thread to a point spaced beyond the rear end of the tab.

During the time that the thread end portions are still being yeldably held against'the tab, the side margins of the tab are folded over, and the thread ends are not released by the thread laying device until after the threads have been firmly positioned under and clamped down by the side margins of the tab.

My improved machine has been thoroughly tested in practical operation and I have demonstrated that it can be run at high speed, so that as fast as an operator can select the articles to be tabbed and place thenr in position upon the machine, the operation of sewing the tab is practically instantaneous, so that no delay is caused by the operation of the machine.

I have also found that the threads are accu-l rately laid in position under the side margins, and there firmly clamped by the side margins, and then when the end margin is bent over, a double lock is formed on the thread, which, in practice has been demonstrated, attaches the tabs to the garments rmly and securely enough to withstand all of the ordinary laundrying and ironing processes without becoming detached therefrom.

I have demonstrated that with tabs of the character herein disclosed, and sewed to the edge' portions of the garments, as shown, the articles may be passed through the ordinary ironing processes without leaving any appreciable depression or mark on the garment after the tab is removed.

After the laundry articles with the tabs thereon have passed through the laundry operation, the tabs may be removed very easily and readily by an operator, because a portion of the thread is readily visible across the end of the tab and a knife may be inserted between the tab and the thread to out it off, whereupon the tab can be readily removed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a means for supporting a tab and an article to which the tab is to be attached, two spaced apart needles, means for moving them through the article and tab, means for threading both needles, means for drawing the needles back through the article and tab to thereby draw both ends of the thread through the article and tab, means for laying the end portions of the thread against the tab and means for folding portions of the tab over the thread.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a means for supporting'a tab and an article to which the tab is to be attached, two spaced apart needles, means for moving them through the article and tab, means for threading both needles, means for cutting the thread, and means for drawing the needles back through the article and tab to thereby draw both ends of the thread through the article and tab, and means for folding a portion of the tab over a portion of the thread.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of two spaced apart movable needles having thread receiving notches therein, means for threading a short piece of thread into said notches, comprising a movable thread carrying member having a notch to receive a short section of thread, m'eans for moving said notched member to position for placing the thread held therein in the path of the movement of the needles so that it will enter the notches of both needles,

and means for applying yielding pressure to the central portion of the thread to prevent longitudinal movement of the thread.

4.Y In a machine of thev class described, the combination of two spaced apart movable needles having thread receiving notches therein, means for threading a short piece of thread into said notches, comprising a movable thread carrying member having a notch to receive a short secrtion of thread, means for moving said notched member to position for placing the thread held therein in the path of the movement of the needles so that it will enter the notches of both needles, and spring arms to engage the thread in said notch of the thread carrying member.

5. In a needle threading device, the combination of a thread holder, means for operating itv to grip or release a thread, a thread pick-up device, means for moving it relative to the thread holder, said pick-up device having jaws for gripping or releasing a thread, means for operating said jaws to grip a thread when the pick-up device passes said holder, means for operating the jaws to release the thread after it has traveled a short distance, means for cutting off a section of the thread after it has been carried a short distance beyond said holder, two spaced apart needles having thread receiving notches, a movable thread carrier having a notch therein to CII receive the thread from the pick-up device, spring actuated thread engaging arms to engage the thread in said notch in the carrier, and means for moving the movable thread carri-er with the thread to position for projecting the thread into the path of the needles to cause it to enter the notches therein when the needles are elevated.

6. In a needle threading device, the combination of a thread holder, means for operating it to grip or release a thread, a thread pick-up device, means for moving it relative to the thread holder, said pick-up device having jaws for gripping or releasing a thread, means for operating said jaws to grip a thread when the pick-up device passes said holder, means for operating the jaws to release the thread after it has traveled a short distance, means for cutting off a section of the thread after it has been carried a short distance beyond said holder, twor spaced apart needles having thread receiving notches, a movable thread carrier having notches therein to receive the thread from the pick-up device, spring actuated thread engaging arms to engage the thread in said notches in the carrier, means for moving the movable thread carrier with the thread to position for projecting the thread into the path of the needles to cause it to enter the notches therein when the needles are elevated, means for applying yielding pressure to the thread to prevent its longitudinal movement, and means for relieving said pressure.

7. In a machine of the class described for attaching a bendable tab to a fabric, the combination of means for drawing two ends of a short thread through the tab and fabric, a thread laying device for engaging both end portions of the thread, means for moving the end portions of the thread to position in spaced apart relation over and against the surface of the tab.

8. In a machine of the class described for attaching a bendable tab to a fabric, the combination of means for drawing two ends of a short thread through the tab and fabric, a thread laying device for engaging both end portions of the thread, means for moving the end portions of the thread to position in spaced apart relation over and against thel surface of the tab, and means for yieldably holding the thread against the tab to securely hold the thread in position during the thread laying movement.

9. In a machine of the class described for attaching a bendable tab to a fabric, the combination of means for drawing the ends of a short thread through the tab and fabric, a thread laying device for engaging both end portions of the thread, means for moving the end portions of the thread to position in spaced apart relation over and against the surface of the tab, and means for folding one side margin of the tab over each of said thread portions.

10. In a machine of the class described for attaching a bendable tab to a fabric, the combination of means for drawing two ends of a short thread through the tab and fabric, a thread laying device for engaging both end portions of the thread, means for moving the end portions of the thread to position in spaced apart relation over and against the surface of the tab, means for folding one side margin of the tab over each of said thread portions, and means forlfolding the end margin of the tab over the previously folded side margins and over both of said thread portions.

11. In a device of the class described for attaching a bendable tab to a fabric, the combination of means for extending the end portions of a thread through the tab and fabric, means for laying said end portions of the thread one on each side of the tab, means for folding each side margin of the tab over one of said thread portions, and means for folding the end margin of the tab over the previously folded side margins.

12. In a machine of the class described for attaching a bendable tab to a fabric, means for supporting the tab, means for folding one margin of the tab upwardly, and means for folding said upturned margin downwardly over the body of the tab, comprising a vertically movable bar having its lower end substantially parallel withI the tab, a pivoted tab engaging member at the lower end of the bar with one face inclined upwardly and over the body of the tab being operated on, and a spring for yieldably holding said tab engaging member toward the tab being operated on.

13. In a machine of the class described, for attaching a bendable tab to a fabric, means for extending two spaced apart portions of a thread through the fabric to which the tab is to be attached, means for laying said thread portions over and against the surface of the tab, means forfolding the side edges of the tab over said thread portions, and means for folding an end portion of the tab over the previously folded side edges.

JOHN GRIESINGER. 

